


With Absence and Desire

by phantomadrenx



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood Drinking, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Eventual Smut, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Reincarnation, Smut, Soul Bond, Vampire Bites, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-07-08 05:24:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15923771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomadrenx/pseuds/phantomadrenx
Summary: There are souls which are simply meant to be together and, no matter how much time passes, will always find each other – whether their owners are completely willing or not is another matter altogether. A heavily canon divergent, reincarnation soulmate AU.





	1. Chapter 1

_**It begins with absence and desire** _

**_It begins with blood and fear._ **

Really, he hates the way that Kuran looks at him.

It’s this strange, sad, knowing look. But the worst part is the _affection_.

Kuran is the _enemy_. He’s a vampire. It’s as simple as that.

His voice is always soft, “I hope your night goes well, Zero.”

First name always. They’re not on a first name basis.

There’s that bow of the head, soft sad eyes, and a gentle smile that’s clearly meant for him and him alone. Then he’ll look away, bid Yuki a goodnight as he always does, and continue on to his classes.

He hates him for how he makes him feel. Confused, angry, hateful. Kuran is no different from the pureblood that murdered his family; that turned him. They’re cut from the same cloth; they’re both purebloods, neither caring for those around them.

Nothing flows in those veins but ice.

All he needs to do is wait, he’ll play by the rules for now. But the moment that Kuran steps out of line…

Zero sighs, shoves his hands in his pockets, and glares at the Day Class students assembled about the gates to the Moon Dorm, cooing over each of the Night Class as though they’re something _beautiful_ and _desirable_. To them, they’re idols; they’re little more than incredibly beautiful people over whom they can swoon.

But he knows the truth.

Behind those sweet, smiling faces hide monsters. They’re little more than beasts in human form.

To them, they’re little more than prey to be hunted, fed from and discarded like so much trash.

“Kaname-senpai seems very fond of you, Zero,” Yuki says, watching as he departs with the rest of the Night Class and breaking Zero’s train of thought.

He turns away, “Don’t be stupid.”

“Hey!” she jabs him in the side harshly. “I’m just saying…”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he ignores the way his throat burns and turns away from Yuki. The vampire’s just putting on an act. He might be fond of Yuki – _might_ being the keyword, there – but _he’s_ little more than dirt under foot.

Purebloods and ex-humans don’t mix.

But that doesn’t stop the thread inside of him from stirring.

It’s such a strange, unnatural thing. The way that he feels _drawn_ to the pureblood… wants him in ways that he shouldn’t. One that no matter he tries to sever, to cut away from him, never leaves. It’s always there, fluttering inside of him – like a chain tied to an anchor.

He hates himself more, for wanting his enemy the way that he does.

Zero knows that he’s twice damned.

Whatever it is that’s causing him to be drawn to the pureblood, that keeps him up in the late hours of the morning… it’s not right. Kuran shouldn’t have this power over him; not even she –

 _No_.

Sucking in a breath, he fights back the images as bile burns at his throat. Thirst or remembrance, it doesn’t matter.

He’s just as much a monster as them.

It may be leashed for now, but it will eventually break free. Zero knows this.

Yuki continues to talk, her voice familiar in its ebb and flow. He tunes her out, for the most part, as they begin the routine of their usual nightly patrols.

Luckily and unluckily, it’s uneventful, and they’re able to return to their rooms in the small hours of the morning without much incident. There’s the occasional girl who has snuck out to try and take pictures of the Night Class, but that’s become such a part of the routine that it doesn’t require comment upon. Usually, all it takes to get them to go back to their dorm is a single glare from him.

Of course, that leaves him with nothing but hours left to brood. For his hunger to slowly eat away at whatever little is left of the human he was.

Yuki walks back with him to their own rooms; hers that she shares with her not-girlfriend – honestly, Zero doesn’t understand who they think they’re fooling – while he’s been given a room all his own. To everyone else, it’s because of the long and late hours he keeps as a member of the Disciplinary Committee; but in actuality, it’s to do with his… ‘condition’.

No one knows but him and the headmaster. And Zero intends to keep it that way.

Beside him, Yuki chatters on about the preparations they’ll need to go through for the upcoming St. Xocolatl’s Day. He catches the way that she flushes when she talks about it, and knows that he’s going to have to deal with his least favourite thing in the world.

When they were younger, Yuki’s little crush on Kuran had been incredibly frustrating. Infuriating, really. Yuki has always held him in high regard and Zero… he can understand why that is; he did, after all, save her life, for reasons that neither of them know. But it couldn’t have been out of the goodness of his heart.

But that doesn’t stop the sting of jealousy that settles deep in his chest. There’s that dark little voice in his head that whispers that _she has no right_ , that Kuran is _his_.

Kuran is not _his_.

Zero squashes that train of thought like a bug under foot. They’re enemies, not lovers. He hates that part of himself, the part that _wants_ Kuran with every fibre of its being. He grits his teeth, shoves the thoughts away and back into the little box of them that he’s been keeping them locked up in.

That hasn’t kept them from slipping out. And Kuran makes it… difficult, sometimes.

_“You seem pale tonight. Are you alright, Zero?”_

The words echo round and round in his head, chasing him even after he collapses into bed. Though exhaustion takes him quickly, his sleep is restless and disturbing.

It’s the same dream he’s had since he was young.

“You should come to bed,” he says.

Though his hair is far longer, tumbling past his shoulders, and his eyes are the colour of freshly spilled blood, the face that turns from the window is unmistakably that of Kaname Kuran. His mouth tips up into that familiar secret smile – the one that no matter how hard he tries, always sets his heart fluttering – that seems to only ever be meant for him.

“But then I couldn’t admire how you look, gracing my bed the way you are,” he replies.

“Such a way with words,” he purrs. “But I didn’t come here to be admired from afar…”

“Of course you didn’t.”

“For you, as always.” He extends a hand to Kuran’s clone, the vulnerable skin of his wrist upturned and presented to the other as he beckons him back to bed.

When he was younger, that was always where the dream ended, with Kuran’s clone taking his hand and pressing his lips to the inside of his wrist. It had always made him wake up, shivering from the touch and confused at the intimacy of it all.

He’d recognized the clone as a vampire, a peek of fangs against the lips. The light prick of them against the sensitive skin of his wrist. As a young child, he hadn’t been able to understand why he would dream of a vampire, or why that vampire would look at him as though he held the entire world within him.

It wasn’t until he’d come to Kaien Cross and met Kuran that he’d recognized the vampire in his dreams.

Now, though, his dream doesn’t stop there, it continues.

And Zero wakes up in a cold sweat, panting heavily, and with his pants uncomfortably wet.

 _Fuck_. He shouldn’t be having wet, sexual dreams about a clone of Kuran. Zero doesn’t understand the meaning behind the dreams; sometimes they change, the setting, but it’s always… the same. Always intimate, the dreams leave him aching in ways that he never thought he would for anyone. The end result always has him sneaking into the bathrooms before anyone else is awake for a long, cold shower.

Slicking back his hair, Zero stares into the mirror at his reflection. Bright violet eyes stare back at him from a too pale face. If he ran into his own reflection on the street, he’d think that they were a dead man walking.

And he is.

Zero resists the urge to punch out the mirror. He balls his hands into fists on the sides of the sink, careful not to grip the delicate porcelain too tightly. Yuki’s already got questions about his behaviour as of late, the last thing he needs is for her to hear about him wrecking the boys’ bathroom in the dorm.

He returns to his room, in the vain hope that he might be able to squeeze in just a _few more_ hours of sleep.

It’s in vain; if it’s not one nightmare, it’s another.

Blood. Throbbing pain. His body is on fire, a thousand points of pain overriding any other feeling.

Pale, bare feet step into his field of view.

“I see that you’ve survived, my precious one,” she coos. She crouches down in front of him, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a bloodied handkerchief. Cupping his chin, she tilts his face up, “Yes, my dear, keep looking at me like that. Never let your hatred for me fade.”

Then she leans down, and lightly kisses his forehead, “My final revenge. Your parents would be so proud.”

His eyes fly open, breath coming in shallow, too fast breaths. Zero feels light-headed, his heart hammering wildly in his chest and he shivers. Automatically, his hand flies to the side of his neck, remembering the burn and tearing pain from _that night_ , but all his fingers find is smooth, long-healed skin.

He remembers the blood. He remembers the pain.

 _Never forgive_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this WIP for a while now. And by a while now, I mean I've been sitting on it since last fucking year and I've been picking at it ever since, not sure if I was ever going to post it or not. But I decided, what the hell: I'll dabble in this fandom a little and drop my big ol' fuck you ode to canon right here. This is absolutely close to being a full-on AU; when I say it's canon divergent _I mean it_. I've kept a couple of things and, most importantly, aspects of the backstory, but I've also twisted things to fit into the AU that I've decided to work with here.
> 
> Uh, feel free to ask any questions about what I'm doing here and how much canon I'm keeping, if that interests you. I might not be able to say or specify, because potential spoilers, but I'll answer what I can. This fic will be updating every week on Fridays, as I have something of a backlog of chapters for it, so I'm hoping to stick to that schedule as much as possible. But, as always, I make no promises.
> 
> For character deaths/warnings, there will be warnings contained in specific chapters. If you see something that should be warned for, please let me know and I'll add it – either to the tags or the chapter warnings.


	2. Chapter 2

His memory of the night that he was brought to Cross comes in fragments.

What he remembers is that Yuki cleaned the blood from him. And he had simply let her, like a doll without a soul. She’d spoken to him the entire time, always asking him if it was alright to touch him, to clean this or that.

It had felt as though everything had been pulled out of him, that all that was left of him was that simmering hatred deep in his stomach. His family gone. He had nothing left but his vengeance. All he had to live for was surviving long enough to take it.

Whatever happened to him next didn’t matter. So long as he could take his revenge.

Zero knows well that he has no worth as a person. He’s simply a tool. The only reason he’s survived this long is to avenge his family. That’s all that matters.

He will be the one to end her.

But he remembers Yuki’s soft touch. It had been hard, then, not to want to lean into it. To find comfort in her presence.

He hadn’t had it in him to push her away.

Looking back on it, Zero knows that he should have.

Yuki’s sweet, impossibly so, and reminds him of Ichiru in more ways than one. He’d never had a little sister before, but now he does, and it’s impossible to shake her. He’s become attached.

But it’s so difficult not to, and maybe that’s why he can’t _really_ begrudge Kuran’s own attachment to her.

When Kuran had come to visit her, Zero had begun to settle. He had started to talk again. It had been slow, for the anger and the hatred to subside enough for him to even open up a little. Not very much – he never spoke about what happened, not what was done to him, the violation – but he knew enough to be polite, at least.

If he didn’t speak, then Yuki would worry. And when she worried, it made Cross worry too. That was the _worst_. He couldn’t take the man’s strange attempts at doting without wanting to _crush_ something.

Yuki had been so excited.

“Come on, Kaname-sama! I want you to meet my new friend!”

He could hear her talking excitedly to someone in the hallway. She’d appeared shortly thereafter in the doorway, tugging another young boy into the room behind her.

Zero remembers that Kuran had been smiling, his face surprisingly open for once, and then he’d looked at him with those deep wine-red eyes of his and stopped. He’d frozen, dead in his tracks, staring at Zero like a dying man might to a well in the desert. His mouth had dropped open, he’d inhaled sharply.

And it had rushed through his mind _this is him_.

That was quickly followed by knowing that _he is a vampire_.

His hand twitched for a weapon, seizing upon one of the butter knives on the table. It might not be enough to kill him, but at least he’d be able to wound him.

Zero hadn’t cared that his arm had been in a sling, that he was still covered in more bandages than was healthy. All that had been running through his mind was that he needed to _end this vampire_ before he could hurt anyone else.

“Zero!”

But Kuran had caught his wrist before he could plunge the knife into his chest.

“You should be more careful,” Kuran said. “Take better care of yourself.”

“ _Vampire_!” He’d spat the word out like venom, struggling to try and wrestle his wrist free. His kind had taken his family, had taken _him_. It wasn’t fair!

The knife clattered uselessly to the floor, Zero’s hand going boneless in Kuran’s grip.

He couldn’t remember releasing it.

“I apologize, Yuki. I shouldn’t have come today,” Kuran said. Then he’d looked at Zero with those sad eyes of his, “But it was nice to meet you… Zero.”

And then he’d left, just as quietly as he’d come.

The betrayal had stung the most.

Yuki was supposed to be like _him_. Vampires had taken everything from her – her family, her life – so why wasn’t she just as filled with hatred as him? She shouldn’t be looking at vampires with starry eyes, as though _that one_ was the sun that filled her entire world.

“Kaname-sama saved my life,” Yuki had told him, later that night. Her hands had been balled into tiny fists at her sides, her voice trembling. “I can’t remember much. Only that he found me before the vampire that killed my parents could kill me too.”

“He’s–!”

“He’s very kind,” Yuki continued. “He asked about you. I had to promise that I would take good care of you.”

_Why does he care?_

“I don’t need anyone to look after me!”

“Then I’ll just be your friend, okay? Friends look out for one another.” Yuki smiled, bright and cheery and… that had rather been the end of that. Yuki’s always been so full of life, so kind and cheerful that it’s impossible for it not to rub off.

All Zero wants is to protect that.

Now, looking back, Zero knows that what he wants is for Yuki not to become like him. She should remain that sweet, kind-hearted girl that she’s always been. Not someone so consumed by hatred for what he’s about to become, someone driven only by revenge… no, Yuki can never become like him.

It’s why he encourages her towards Yori, because at least Yori is human. Yori reciprocates Yuki’s feelings and they’re… well, he hates to use the word, but they’re _cute_ together.

And it has nothing to do with the burning jealousy at the thought of her and Kuran.

“I know that it’s about girls giving chocolate to their crushes but… have you thought about giving something to Kaname-senpai?” Yuki asks. “I-I mean you don’t have to! I just… maybe show your appreciation? He does help make our jobs easier…”

“No.”

Yuki puffs her cheeks out, “You don’t have to be such an ass about it…”

“Kuran and I aren’t–”

“Yes, yes, I know. You’ve said so a thousand times – or at least it feels like it.” Yuki rolls her eyes. “Yori and I exchanged chocolates already, so I’m free for duty after class. We’d better get going; if we want to beat the crowd.”

Zero grunts.

But his cheeks prick at the thought. Because it _had_ crossed his mind.

He’s not some silly girl with a crush, though. Just one very strange, bizarrely rooted obsession of sorts with Kuran. One that he can’t always keep under wraps. Because Yuki found out about it and hasn’t stopped bugging him about it since.

She thinks it’s _cute_.

Zero thinks that she’s an idiot.

Together, the two of them set up the fences and gates for the Day Class students to line up in to give their chocolates to the Night Class for St. Xocolatl’s Day. It’s long, hard work given that it’s only the two of them, but they somehow manage it before the entire Day Class spills out from classes.

He has to boost Yuki up onto his shoulders to attach all the signs to their appropriate gates, but she’s so light that it’s not an issue.

“And that’s the last one!” Yuki says brightly. “You can put me down now, Zero.”

Rather than put her down, Yuki hopes down from his shoulders and brushes imaginary dust from her skirt. She straightens up, stretching her arms above her head; taking in the results of their hard work with a proud look on her face.

“Hopefully things will go well! Now, all that’s left are–”

They come heralded by excited shrieks.

“I’ll take right, you take left!” Yuki calls, immediately turning to the coming stampede. “Alright everyone! Please line up in an orderly fashion beneath your gates! Don’t worry! You’ll all be able to give your chocolates to your desired crush!”

Zero simply glares at the girls in front of him, “Get in line.”

Staring at him, wide-eyed, they nod furiously and scuttle quickly into their self-assigned positions.

The atmosphere is soaked with excitement, full of chatter, and it’s more than enough to give Zero quite the headache. Really, he just wants the day to be over so he can go back to his room, lie down, and try to get a little more rest than he did the night before.

Once everyone’s in place, Yuki steps up to the front, “Alright! We all know how this goes, so behave yourselves! Or else I’ll have you deal with Zero!”

_Why me?_

He crosses his arms, leaning lightly against the fence and shoots a glare at anyone who looks in his direction. Luckily, it’s more than enough to cow the majority of them into well-behaved silence as they wait for the Night Class to make their arrival. It’ll only last so long, though, and Zero braces himself for the incoming explosion of noise.

It grates on his nerves, the way they fawn over the vampires. And the noise always makes his mood worse.

The gates swing open with a heavy creak.

“Idol-senpai!”

“Wild-senpai!”

It’s nothing but noise and wild shoving as everyone in line tries to push their way to the front to be the first to hand their chocolate to the vampire that they’re crushing on. Zero shoots them a look, “Stay in line or you won’t be giving out chocolate ever again.”

“That’s not fair!”

Yuki blasts her whistle,”Night Class, you know the routine! Please stand at the gate bearing your name and accept the chocolate given to you! Ladies! Behave yourselves and stay in line! Everyone will get their turn in time, I promise!”

Patrolling up and down her side of the line, Yuki nudges back those who are trying to get a little too close to the Night Class. Zero, on the other hand, simply stays where he is.

And no, it’s not at all suspicious that he stands close to Kuran’s gate. Or that he shoots the girls lined up there a particularly harsh look.

No, he’s not jealous at all.

And he sticks to that thought. Right up until Kuran is passing right in front of him.

“Good evening, Zero,” he says. His mouth, as always tips up in that same secret smile. “I hope the ladies aren’t giving you too much trouble.”

“Kaname-senpai! Pl-please accept this!”

The smile is gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that same bland expression that Zero has gotten so used to seeing. Ever the diplomat, Kuran respectfully accepts the chocolates from his many admirers, even though Zero quite suspects that they’re going to end up in his bodyguard’s possession before the event’s even over.

He bites down on his cheek to stop the savage smile. Zero shouldn’t be taking any pleasure that the object of these girls’ affection doesn’t care for them; that he’s just being polite. He has to remind himself that Kuran doesn’t care for him, either, that it’s all just an act. To what end, he doesn’t know, but Kuran must have some sort of plan for him.

He isn’t going to fall for it. Vampires have already taken enough from him.

Kuran can smile at him all he wants, but Zero knows that only a beast lurks behind that smile. He’d sooner tear out his own throat than let Kuran touch him.

It takes time, but slowly the gaggle of girls shrinks down, leaving him and Yuki to shoo the last stragglers back to the dorms. By this time, the Night Class is already long gone, having left for their own classes some time earlier. Then, it’s just a matter of taking down the gates and putting everything away.

Then, it comes time for patrol.

Yuki hums, munching on chocolate as she goes. She offers Zero a piece, “You want some?”

“Isn’t that from Yori?”

“Yeah. But she said it was alright to share it with you, if I wanted to.”

“I’m fine,” Zero says, pushing the proffered box back towards Yuki. “Keep it.”

She shrugs, “Suit yourself.”

Th-thud. Th-thud. Th-thud.

Zero sucks a breath in through his nose, the sound of Yuki’s heartbeat ringing heavily in his ears. Below that, he can hear the rush of blood running through her veins. His fangs, long dormant, start to itch and grow against the gums.

He turns away from her, “I’m gonna get some air.”

“Wha – but we’re still on patrol!”

“Divide and conquer: I’ll take the outside.”

Yuki grumbles, “Fiiiine, have it your way Mr. Grumpy-pants.”

He takes the steps down to the grounds three at a time, stumbling as he goes. The thirst is a terrible one, clawing at his insides and churning his stomach. He gags over the edge of the railing, but nothing comes out and Zero spares a moment to be grateful for an empty stomach.

But the sound of Yuki’s heartbeat is still echoing in his ears.

As he pushes the door open, he bites down into his wrist, trying to stem the bloodlust with his own. It’s not enough; it’s _never_ enough.

_Not now_ , he tells himself. _Just a little longer…_

Though his legs are unsteady under him, he makes it to the cover of the trees. Sagging against the trunk of one, Zero releases his wrist. Zero knows it will do nothing to curb the thirst that’s clawing at his mind but he laps at the blood that leaks out anyway. The scent of blood churns his stomach, reminding him of the monster that he’s becoming.

“Ah, I knew I scented blood.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kuran blends into the shadows of the woods, though his eyes stand out and glitter brightly in the moonlight. The bland expression of earlier is gone, replaced by a gentle frown and look of concern that seems both out of place on the pureblood’s face.

“The hell are you doing here, Kuran?!” Zero snaps, trying to shove his still sluggishly bleeding hand into his jacket. He gropes for Bloody Rose with blood-slicked fingers.

“I came looking for you, of course,” Kuran replies, crouching down in front of Zero in one of those too-quick to follow, disconcerting moves of his. “I scented blood and knew it was yours. How long has it been going on, Zero?”

“None of your fucking business!”

He grips Bloody Rose tightly, pulling it out and pushing it under Kuran’s chin. He clicks off the safety, prepared to fire – pureblood or not, he won’t let Kuran simply have his way with him.

“Do you intend to shoot me, Zero? I won’t hurt you,” Kuran says, softly. “Let me help you.”

Zero snorts, “Yeah, right. Fuck off.”

Kuran’s eyes soften, his frown deepens, “If that’s what you wish… but know that the offer still stands. If you find yourself in need again, come to me.”

“When hell freezes over,” Zero snaps.

Rising to his feet, Kuran straightens his uniform and extends a hand down to Zero, “Then I’ll wait in anticipation of that day.”

Zero smacks the hand away, shoving Bloody Rose back into its holster and pushing himself to his feet. He wipes away the last of the blood on his pants. But Kuran beats him to the blood on his lips.

With his thumb, Kuran wipes the blood from the corner of Zero’s mouth. His eyes blaze bright crimson as he raises his thumb to his lips and licks it clean. It’s a brief flash, before they settle back to their usual wine-red hue.

“What the fuck is your problem, Kuran?” Zero says, jerking back. But the tree is at his back, leaving him with nowhere to go.

“My problem?” Kuran tilts his head to the side. “I don’t have one, Zero. It seems like you’re the one who has a problem with me. What have I done to deserve your hatred?”

“ _Vampire_.”

“We have that in common.”

But Kuran steps away, turning away from Zero before their… _disagreement_ can devolve further. He spots Kuran’s bodyguard standing at the edge of the woods, half behind a tree. Her eyes glide across Zero as though he isn’t even there, before returning to Kuran.

“Remember, Zero,” Kuran calls back. “I’m here for you. You know where to find me.”

With that, he leaves.

Zero remains where he’s standing, his heart hammering wildly in his chest and his face blazing hot. His lips are tingling, the memory of Kuran’s thumb against his skin burning into his mind. Scrubbing his mouth with the back of his hand, Zero spits on the ground, trying to erase the memory of Kuran’s touch from his skin.

What he tries to tell himself is that no matter what Kuran is offering, he won’t take it.

But the tingling in his lips doesn’t stop. That part of himself that desires Kuran, wants him so deeply and feels as though Kuran is as much a part of him as Zero himself is, grows bolder with the touch. It whispers to him in the back of his mind, behind the walls he’s put up around it in an effort to keep it in check.

_Have him. He belongs to me._

Taking a shuddering breath, Zero straightens his rumpled uniform as best he can. Then, he returns to his rounds. Nothing like the inane activity of patrol to keep his mind off of how his skin is still tingling and how his body yearns to go after Kuran and take him up on whatever he’s offering.

Eventually, though, he has to check in with Yuki.

“Anything happen?”

“What happened to your hand?”

“Ah,” Yuki glances down at the bandage wrapped around her hand. “I found some girls out after curfew. Cut my hand when I jumped down to tell them off.”

He can still scent the blood on the air; impossibly sweet and his gums itch.

Zero grits his teeth, digs his nails into his hands so hard that he’s in danger of drawing blood. _She wouldn’t mind_ , that treacherous voice whispers, _just a little sip just one_.

“Are you alright, Zero? You look pale,” Yuki asks, taking a step forward and leaning into his space. She raises a hand to press it against his forehead. “Hm, you’re not running a fever… but you feel clammy. Maybe you should turn in early for the night?”

“I think I will,” Zero forces out, desperation soaking through his frame to be away from Yuki and the tantalizing scent of her blood. “I… I’ve been feeling a little off all day.”

“If you need to take tomorrow off, I’ll be fine,” Yuki smiles. “Take care of yourself, Zero. You’re no use to anyone if you run yourself into the ground.”

“Alright, alright. I get it.”

“Good, go get some sleep.” Yuki slaps him, a little too hard and a little too enthusiastically, on the back. “I’ll come check on you in the morning. See how you’re feeling then.”

“Don’t tell your father,” Zero mutters.

“Why would I tell him? Do you want me to?”

“No.”

Yuki shrugs, “Then I won’t. Sleep well, Zero.”

 

 

 

When he gets back to his room, the burn has become excruciating.

Zero has to drag himself across the room, body wracked with pain, to his nightstand where a glass and carafe sit waiting for him. Using his bed for leverage, he pulls himself up and manages to pour himself a glass of water with violently trembling hands. His hands are shaking so badly that he nearly drops the box of blood tablets before he managed to drop three into the glass.

He chokes the water down. It tastes disgusting, like drinking chalk dissolved in water. He chokes on it, spewing red-tinted water across the floor.

Slamming the glass down on the table, Zero curls up on his bed, latching onto his wrist with his teeth. Though his own blood won’t slake his thirst, the pain of his fangs sinking into the flesh, the taste of iron against his tongue, and scent of it on the air is enough. His throat still burns, he still yearns to sink his teeth into a human and drain them.

He wants – no, _needs_ – blood.

_It’s getting worse_.

Zero knew that the blood tablets were a last resort. They’ve never worked for him before, on the occasions that his thirst has reared its terrifying head. His body has always rejected them – a result of his being an ex-human. What he needs is blood.

His time is running out.

When _that woman_ tore through his neck that day four years ago, she damned him to becoming the creature he is today. There’s nothing that can be done; eventually, he’ll lose himself completely to the thirst and need to be put down like a rabid dog.

That’s the fate that awaits him.

_“Let me help you.”_

Kuran’s words echo unbidden in his head. How could he possibly help? Zero thinks. There’s nothing to do for him but to wait. Perhaps Kuran only wants to put him out of his misery, after all, he’s little more than a threat to the entirety of the Day Class with the state he’s in. If his control wavers even a little, he could find himself with his fangs sunk deep into some unsuspecting student’s neck.

_Why would he want to help you? He must want something from you._

But what would Kuran want from him? He’s nothing, just an ex-human slowly slipping towards becoming a Level E. There’s nothing desirable about him at all; especially not when Kuran could have his pick of anyone from the Day or Night Class. Zero’s only a step above garbage, even a human would be a better choice than him.

He buries his head in his hands, the scent of blood heavy on the air and staining the sheets about him.

He shouldn’t be thinking about this.

It hurts, though, because he _wants_ Kuran as he’s wanted no one else and he doesn’t know _why_. But he can’t have him, Zero knows that. But it doesn’t stop the wanting.

He hates himself more for it.


	4. Chapter 4

_“You and I are tied by a bond, which cannot be severed.”_

He wakes with her words echoing in his head, clutching the sheets so tightly that his nails have punctured holes in them.

The nightmares are getting worse.

Zero rolls over, staring at the light that streams through his window to the floor. The tree outside his window casts a shadow, swaying gently in the breeze. Today, he remembers, is their break day; the Night Class will be resting, so he can lay in bed for as long as he wants.

Closing his eyes, he tries to purge the image of _that woman_ stained with his family’s blood leaning over him, running her fingers through his hair in a mock display of affection.

_“You belong to me, Zero. That hatred inside of you burns only for me; don’t let it go out.”_

He balls his hand into a fist, slams it against the wall. _Damn it_. Not today.

There’s a quick clip of knocking at his door. It’s followed by Yuki calling out, “Zero! You better be dressed cause I’m coming in!”

Groaning, Zero rolls over and slams his pillow over his face.

“What do you want?”

“The headmaster wants us to run some errands for him, so get up now you lazy butt!” She yanks the pillow from over his face, smacking him with it for good measure. “If you want to shower, you better hurry! I promised Yori that we’d meet her in the next twenty minutes.”

No shower, then.

“Do I have to?” he grumbles.

“Yes! I need your strong arms to help me carry everything!”

“You’re dragging me along on your date, though.”

“It’s not a – okay, so it’s a date. You don’t have to stick around for that part. I just need you to help me carry everything and get it back, alright?” Yuki plants her hands on her hips and glares at him, “You can ditch us once we’re done the shopping – but I _finally_ managed to get in an opening at that ice cream place so…”

“You’re taking her to _that_ place?”

“Why not? It’s really popular and the ice cream is really good!” Yuki sighs, “I mean, I know that Yori doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but she knows I do! She agreed to come, anyway!”

Zero rolls out of bed, giving her a gentle push towards the door, “I get it, I get it. Just… wait outside while I get dressed, alright?”

“Don’t take too long!” Yuki calls out, slamming the door closed behind her.

 

 

 

He is most definitely the third wheel. An awkward, loudly squeaking one at that.

“Oh, you didn’t have to come, Zero,” Yori says softly. “Yuki and I can manage the shopping on our own…”

“Yeah, but then we have to carry it all back on our own!” Yuki protests. “This way, we can kill two birds with one stone!”

Zero shrugs, “I’m only here as the pack mule.”

“That wasn’t very nice of you, Yuki.”

“But Yori…!”

“I don’t mind.” Here, in the city surrounded by the crush of people, he can forget about his nightmares for a little while. He can ignore the way that his neck throbs in time with the beat of his heart.

Above them, there’s the flutter of wings as crows fly overhead.

Zero ignores the sounds of hundreds of hearts beating all around him. It’s easier if he just focuses on the mundane task ahead of him, on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping Yuki from realizing that he’s brooding again.

He can’t hide it from Yori, though, who gives him one long, lingering look, before turning her head back to Yuki and engaging her in conversation about what she’s most excited to try at the ice cream place they’re going to after. It’s a smooth transition; nothing will keep Yuki distracted better than the thought of food.

Though usually quiet and rather reserved, Yori chats away happily with Yuki. The two of them lean into each others’ spaces easily, their hands brushing together every now and then. When they do, the two of them glance shyly at each other, then away again, their cheeks turning pink.

It would be adorable if it wasn’t so sickening.

“And that’s the last thing on the list!” Yuki says triumphantly. She folds the last package into Zero’s arms, grinning widely. “Now, you’ll want to hurry back to the Academy so that the meat doesn’t go sour from the heat.”

He blinks, “It’s not that hot out.”

“But still, meat can go bad really quickly and we can’t have that, now can we?” She grins, “Apparently the headmaster wants to make us a special meal, so don’t worry about me! I’ll be home before dinner!”

Zero tries not the blanch at the thought. The headmaster’s idea of cooking can be somewhat… eccentric at the best of times. Frequently, Zero’s found him smoking fish over a plastic bucket in his office. He shudders to think of what he might come up _this_ time. The time previous, it was something that turned out to be rather inedible.

Thus far, however, they’ve all managed to avoid food poisoning by some miracle.

Still, he’ll be happy to return to the Academy and the privacy of his rooms.

Shifting the packages in his arms, Zero rubs his hand against his neck, trying to ease away the throbbing pain there. It fades to something faint and tolerable as he crosses over the boundary through to the Academy, making his way back towards where the headmaster’s rooms are.

It’s going to be another long night.

 

 

 

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” Cross asks, late that evening.

Zero grits his teeth and doesn’t answer.

Rather, he ignores Cross altogether and leaves the room, stumbling down the hall to his own place in the guest room there. Leaning against the door, he sags to the floor, fangs peeking passed his lips and pricking against his lips.

_“I’m going to grant you something more sinful.”_

And Zero remembers the feeling of her fangs tearing through the flesh of his neck, how his blood had looked splattered across the snow. His blood had still been staining her mouth when she’d dropped him to the snow, moving to the open door of his home where his parents had stood helpless.

Dragging himself back, he’d been in horrendous pain. His neck had throbbed fiercely, each one in time with the beat of his heart as more blood puddled to the snow beneath him. By the time he’d managed to reach the door, it had been too late.

Not that he could have done anything. He’d been little more than a child; just a plaything to be bitten and tossed aside.

And Ichiru…

He shakes his head at the thought of his brother.

She had knelt down, then, to run her fingers through his hair and cradle him close as though he was _her_ child. Her fingers had been cool against the skin, brushing her fingers against his forehead, and cooing softly into his ears.

_“My precious Zero, you will grow up to be big and strong, won’t you? And you will come find me again, I know you will.”_

She had left him there. Not to die, no, but to suffer. To live knowing that he would eventually become like her; a beast hiding itself in human form.

He had been damned to this fate.


	5. Chapter 5

At some point, Kaname hopes, Zero will take him up on his offer. If only to keep himself from harming Yuki.

It’s one thing that the two of them can agree on.

Zero, though, would not believe him if he said he was doing it purely for him.

Of course, he thinks of Yuki and her safety. He saved her once and would do so again if need be, but to choose between her and Zero… though it would break him, he knows the choice he would make. And Zero would never forgive him.

But Zero has always come first for him, ever since they met as children. Perhaps even before then. He has been pursuing that dream ever since he can remember; he has held tightly to it, hoping that, one day, he could find and enjoy that peace; that he could be loved.

Kaname rests his head against the window, looking out at the school grounds and wonders what Zero is doing now.

“Are you alright?” Ichijo asks. “You seem… distracted lately.”

Blinking slowly, Kaname turns away from the window, though his thoughts remain with Zero, “I’m fine. You needn’t worry.”

Though he hesitates as he takes the dorm paperwork from Kaname, Ichijo nods and leaves him to his thoughts.

“You may go as well, Seirin,” Kaname calls out. “I’ll be fine.”

She nods her head, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her with a click.

Unconsciously, his hand goes to his neck. He made the offer almost without thinking. All that had been running through his mind was that Zero was hurting and _needed_ him. Well, Kaname thinks, not exactly.

Truly, Zero needs Shizuka Hio. The pureblood vampire who originally bit him.

Pressing his fingers against the side of it, he shivers as he wonders what it would be like for Zero to bite _him_. Would it hurt? Would it be pleasurable? Though Kaname’s bitten others before – Ruka comes to mind because his control’s never been good when Zero’s involved – he’s never been bitten before. No one would dare.

Yet here he is, freely offering his blood to an ex-human. The aristocrats would balk if they knew.

But Kaname doesn’t care. His blood is strong, powerful and pure enough that it can slow Zero’s descent into Level E. It will buy Kaname the time he so desperately needs to find Hio.

His possessive instincts aren’t attractive and Kaname knows that, but Zero is _his_. He might not know it yet – or perhaps he knows just as Kaname does, that thread that connects the two of them – but Kaname hopes that, in time, he will. He would do anything for the other; all Zero has to do is ask.

But Zero isn’t ready to admit to the chain that stretches between them, connecting them on a level much deeper than simple attraction or lust. Kaname accepted it long ago; it had been all that he could cling to as his entire world fell apart around him.

With no family of his own after the deaths of his parents, Kaname had clung to that chain he’d felt inside of him. To the dreams that came to him every night. Anything was better than the cold, impersonal reality that he found himself facing in the aftermath of being orphaned.

Dreams of a man who wore his face. That were full of such love and passion that it had threatened to choke Kaname. He remembered the embarrassment of waking up with damp sheets and soiled pants.

“I’ll always come for you, my love,” Zero’s clone had said. “No matter what stands between us.”

“And I you.” Lips against the pads of fingers, the inside of a wrist.

Kaname woke up shivering, pressed his fingers to his lips and wondered after the love and affection. It seemed so far removed from the cold, unforgiving, and alienating life he lived in the Ichijo household. Outside of the way of life that his newfound friend lived, separate due to his blood; he lived apart, had his own tutors, with everyone else living by unspoken rules.

It had been dreadfully miserable. The only bright spots being when he and Takuma could sneak out from the manor for a little bit of fun and freedom.

And, even though the majority were Kaname’s idea, he was never punished. Only Takuma was and, gradually, Kaname stopped asking. He could come and go as he pleased, so long as Seirin accompanied him; the only familiar face from his old life.

That was how he met Yuki.

 

 

 

Yuki was just a child. She didn’t deserve to lose her parents the way that she did.

He’d come upon her by accident. Though that’s a lie. He’d scented the blood and gone to investigate.

Saving her had been easy, the Level E had never seen him coming. He was Kaname’s first kill.

Even now, he is surprised by how easy it was.

Yuki had taken his hand easily, embraced him tightly with her small arms.

Her large eyes had looked up at him, clear and bright and so full of life that all Kaname could think was _I will protect you_.

And she continued to be so sweet, so happy to see him. She never kept a respectful distance from him, bowing and murmuring softly in deference to his status as a pureblood. No, Yuki would throw herself at him, smiling broadly and openly. She has never looked at him with thinly veiled fear, desire, and just a hint of disdain.

She never kept her distance, throwing herself at him each time he came to visit her at Cross’ home.

“Kaname-sama! Come see my new drawing!”

Her hand was so small, so delicate in his, as she pulled him into the house to show him her latest drawing in a series of artwork featuring her and Kaname. Her eyes sparkled every time she saw him and Kaname knew, with ease, that she loved him. Not just because he saved her – though that certainly played a large part in it – but simply because he was kind to her.

Yuki loves him because he’s her friend. It was as simple as that. For Kaname, it’s a refreshing change from the vampire world, where he’s isolated and alone; he has no friends. Certainly there’s Takuma, but their friendship can only go so far between an aristocrat and a pureblood; his grandfather has certainly made sure of that. And Kaname finds himself yearning more and more for the simplicity of Yuki’s friendship and easy love.

“We’re friends, aren’t we, Kaname-sama?” Yuki asked.

He smiles back at her and nods, “I like to think so, don’t you?”

“We are!”

“Then you’re my first friend, Yuki.”

“That’s… very sad. You should make more friends, Kaname-sama! I’ll help you. Promise.”

 

 

 

The first time he met Zero all that he could think was _it’s him, it’s really him._

But that momentary joy, that shock, had given way to a stomach dropping horror when Zero had come at him with a knife.

A butter knife, but still a knife. And he’d snarled out, “ _Vampire!_ ”

Kaname had known then that this wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d thought. It was stupid, Kaname thought in retrospect, to expect that Zero would just fall into his arms. He made his excuses, left, and fell into step with Seirin as they returned to the Ichijo manor.

“He walks in his image,” Seirin says, in her familiar soft voice and without prompting. “Just as you walk in your ancestor’s.”

He blinked, looked to her. It’s the most that Seirin has ever said at one time, “You’ve never said that before.”

“I’ve never had reason to,” she replies, her head bowed. “You have dreamt of him, haven’t you?”

“I have,” Kaname says, swallowing thickly. “But he wants nothing to do with me.”

“Then prove him wrong.”

 

 

 

The attacks are becoming more and more frequent. Kaname notices the way that Yuki spends more and more time on patrol by herself. Knowing that Zero wouldn’t forsake his duty so easily – much less the girl that they’ve both come to view as a little sister – he worries.

Zero should have come to him by now.

Kaname hates taking matters into his own hands. He wanted Zero to make the choice, to choose _him_ , but it’s difficult when Zero’s putting more than just himself at risk.

“You know that you can’t keep this up for much longer,” Kaname says, placing his hands on Cross’ desk. “Zero’s condition is deteriorating and quickly – something must be done.”

Cross’ eyebrow goes up, “And what would you suggest, Kaname?”

“Transfer him to the Night Class,” Kaname says, the words sticking slightly to his tongue. “He’ll be among his own kind, then, and there will be no threat to the Day Class. You’ve let him play at human for far too long. Zero needs to accept that he isn’t; not anymore.”

“Neither of us can force him to do that,” Cross says quietly. “Zero has to come to that acceptance on his own.”

Kaname’s aware of that and he hates it. But there’s little more he can do than try and help Zero along the way; be there for him. And he’s _trying_ , but Zero makes it so difficult sometimes.

“And what would you have me tell him? That you demanded he transfer?”

“If you must,” Kaname says, hiding his wince. “I’m only thinking of his safety and that of the other students.”

Zero would hate him for it.

“Kaname, I can’t–”

His nostrils flare.

“I smell blood.”

He nearly tears the door off its hinges. In the blink of a human’s eye, he’s at the end of the hall and at the top of the stairs.

Yuki sways in place, her hand clasped over the side of her neck. But she can’t stop the sluggish leak of blood from seeping out between her fingers.

“Ze… ro…?”

Zero’s eyes blaze bright, brilliant crimson, his mouth stained with _Yuki’s_ blood, which drips down from his chin to the floor. He’s panting, fingers hooked into claws at his side, and sharp, bloodied fangs poking past his lips.

_Oh god, I’m too late_.

Seirin is at his side in an instant, steadying Yuki with hands on her shoulders.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kaname steels himself, “Seirin, take Yuki to the infirmary, then see to the blood before anyone comes to investigate.”

Zero twitches in place, swaying. The red slowly bleeds out from his eyes, leaving nothing but pale violet behind. He, too, sways on his feet, stares at Yuki in dawning horror.

“Yuki…?”

Kaname steps in. He grabs Zero’s shoulders, “Yes, Zero. You bit her. She will be fine, I promise you.”

“Wha…?”

Gently, Kaname cups Zero’s face between his hands, resists the urge to lick the blood from his face, “It’s going to be fine, Zero. I’m here. I’ll take care of you.”

Zero’s still staring over Kaname’s shoulder at Yuki in horror. His eyes tremble, wide as dinner plates, “I… Yuki…”

“She will be fine,” Kaname murmurs, sliding an arm around Zero’s shoulders. “Seirin…”

With a nod, Seirin sweeps a faint Yuki up into her arms and vanishes down the hall towards the infirmary.

“I didn’t – I couldn’t…” Zero stares down at his hands, which are stained with blood. “Yuki…”

“Yuki will be fine. She’s a strong girl,” Kaname continues. “Come, let’s get you out of here and away from the smell.”

Zero nods, wordlessly, and lets himself be guided away from the stairwell by Kaname.

From his years of visiting Yuki, Kaname knows where the headmaster’s guest room is, and takes Zero there. He settles him on the bed, then goes to get a wet towel to wipe away the blood. He ignores the tremble of envy inside of himself – that Zero would bite Yuki rather than him.

It takes Zero a long time to come back from wherever it is that he’s gone.

“Come to kill me, Kuran?” Zero asks.

Kaname wrings out the cloth and frowns. It will have to burned; the blood certainly won’t be coming out.

“And why would I do that?”

“I… I bit her.”

“I know,” Kaname says, softly. “Do you regret it?”

“You should kill me.”

“No, I will not,” Kaname replies. He reaches up, tugging his tie free and tossing it to the side. His jacket follows quickly thereafter and he begins unbuttoning his shirt, tugging the collar to the side. “I’m going to save you.”

“What are you – Kuran, what the hell?!”

Kneeling in front of Zero, Kaname peers up at him, “If you need blood, Zero, then I want you to come to me.”

“Wh-what?!”

“You can have mine,” Kaname rests his hands on Zero’s knees. “At the very least, it will slake your thirst better than the tablets.”

Zero’s eyes narrow, “You aren’t just offering this out of the goodness of your heart.”

“You may not believe me, but I am. All I ask is that you come to me should you find yourself slipping again. I will feed you as many times as I must, Zero.” _My blood is yours_.

There’s hesitation written in the lines of Zero’s face, his eyes sliding to the side as he does. It’s a long, painful stretch of minutes until he finally nods his head and Kaname’s heart settles back into his chest, though anticipation now hums in his veins.

Kaname hides that, though, and makes certain that his face is one of neutrality. He doesn’t want Zero to get the wrong impression.

Painfully slowly, Zero crouches down across from him and leans in. His breath is hot against Kaname’s neck, fangs pricking at the skin.

His heart thuds heavily in his chest, yearning burning in every fibre of his breathing. Kaname flexes his hands, trying to keep from latching onto Zero, even though all he wants is to cradle his head close and let him drink his fill.

But he resists the urge.

Right as Zero’s fangs tear into the skin. He gasps.

_Oh_.

It feels… good. Pleasure hums through him and he wonders if Zero can taste it in his blood. He hopes so.

Without thinking, he tangles a hand in the hair at the nape of Zero’s neck and tilts his neck to afford him better access. Zero drinks deeply from him, mouth latched tightly onto the wound he created. His lips are warm against Kaname’s skin, eliciting reactions that he really wouldn’t be pleased about knowing.

He’d never known, before today, how intimate sharing blood could be. Now, he thinks, he understands why Ruka continues to offer him her blood. The feeling of sharing his life’s essence with someone else – someone he cares for deeply – is intoxicating.

He makes a little noise.

Zero jerks back, eyes once more a blazing crimson. His mouth is stained red, fangs poking past his lips.

Before Zero can brush away the blood, Kaname leans in and licks it away himself. It’s a shock against the tongue, rich like fine wine and tinted with, yes, pleasure. Ah, he can see now why Zero drank so deeply.

He pulls away, taking the cloth from the basin and pressing it to the side of his neck, wiping away the excess blood even as the wound itself knits itself back together. He watches Zero, who hasn’t taken his eyes from him; unlike when he bit Yuki, the crimson takes longer to leave his eyes.

“Why bother, Kuran? Wouldn’t you be happier with me dead?” Zero asks, scrubbing his mouth with the back of his hand.

_My life is only complete with you in it_.

“Because I won’t lose you,” Kaname replies. “Not like this.”


	6. Chapter 6

Zero doesn’t understand Kuran. At all.

Maybe it’s a pureblood thing, to be so annoyingly inscrutable. He never knows what Kuran’s thinking, though there’s a very large - and _growing_ \- part of him that _wants_ to believe what Kuran’s saying. It soothes that darkness inside of him and, though he hates admitting it, feels like it completes him.

Yuki had been the only other person he’s bitten. And she’d been sweet – like he’d expected – and her blood had tasted of shock, with a touch of fear, then realization sinking in. In the end, she’d known what he really was, the truth that he’d been hiding from her for so long. That he’s the very creature he hates; that he was born and raised to hunt.

Though... Kuran had tasted better than Yuki. His blood had been impossibly rich, the flavour deep, and had tasted of something that made warmth blossom deep within Zero’s gut. He’d only caught a brief touch of the thought before it had vanished, replaced by heat and lust. Zero knew, in that moment, that _nothing_ would ever compare to Kuran’s blood.

Maybe that’s what Kuran’s after; turning him into an addict that will do anything for another hit. But that doesn’t explain the thought.

 _My blood is yours_.

What had that meant? Zero wondered. It had certainly _sounded_ like Kuran and Zero knows that he’d recognize his voice anywhere. His cheeks prick with heat at the thought; because he’s far too attuned to Kuran for it to be healthy.

He could just ask him. But Zero doesn’t want to deal with that same bland expression and an incredibly diplomatic non-answer. Though Zero will deny it to hell and back, it would hurt more than anything else – Kuran’s rejection.

“Earth to Zero!” Yuki waves a hand in front of his face, “Anyone in there?”

He blinks, “What?”

“Class has been over for five minutes and you haven’t moved for twenty,” Yuki replies. She crosses her arms, clutching her books to her chest. “Is everything… alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Anger stirs in his chest. Now that she knows, because Yuki _did_ have a right to know _what_ was at her back; that the headmaster had been harbouring a dangerous beast under his roof all these years. Zero might have been able to suppress his symptoms for four years, but it’s become harder in the past year.

“Well, you’ve been… quiet. And I mean quieter than usual. Did something happen with Kaname-senpai?”

He has to resist the urge to twitch or shift guiltily.

“No,” Zero replies.

Yuki lets out a breath of relief, “Good, I was worried that the two of you came to blows. You’re a member of the Disciplinary Committee, Zero. You can’t go picking fights with the Night Class Dorm President; you’re supposed to set an _example_ for the rest of the student body to follow.”

“Have you been listening to your father again?” Zero asks, changing the subject. The longer they linger on Kuran, the faster Zero’s thoughts run and he’s gotten nowhere on figuring out what anything means. He’s more confused than he was at the start.

Puffing her cheeks out, Yuki smacks his arm. Hard. “Shut up. One of us has to be a model of discipline. And, let’s face it, it’s not going to be you.”

“I do just fine,” Zero says, tapping his books against the desk. “Now, don’t we have somewhere to be? We’re going to be late.”

“Right!” Yuki straightens her armband, her skirt, then turns to Yori, “Do you mind taking my books back to the dorm?”

Yori shakes her head, “No, you won’t be late, will you?”

“I shouldn’t be any later than usual.”

“Then good luck.” And Yori presses a quick kiss to Yuki’s cheek, before taking her books and leaving the classroom.

Zero’s got no one to take his books back to his dorm, so instead he brings them with him. There’s a reason that he’s always roomed alone, and it had nothing to do with his personality. With his already badly fraying control, neither he nor the headmaster wanted to test it by placing him with another student.

Beaming, Yuki skips out of the classroom, Zero following behind her at his usual pace. He hunches his shoulders, wondering whether Kuran will act any differently now that they’ve… well, since Zero bit him.

And Kuran promised to let him do it again, if he feels the urge.

That Zero doesn’t understand. Why would he volunteer to do it more than once? He rubs the side of his neck, which aches faintly in remembrance of that woman’s fangs tearing through the flesh. His nerves had burned when she’d bitten him; it couldn’t have been pleasant for Kuran. So… why offer?

And he’s more than tempted to take him up on the offer. He only needs to last so long, even though all his attempts to locate _her_ have ended in failure. It’s as though she murdered his entire family and simply vanished.

It’s impossible, but that’s the only answer he has. That she disappeared into thin air.

People – especially purebloods – don’t just vanish and Zero knows that. She’s somewhere out there, waiting for him to exact his revenge. He just needs to find her. And if Kuran wants to keep him from losing himself before that, then Zero isn’t going to complain.

He can’t complain; he has to admit, if only to himself, that he takes a certain amount of pleasure in being able to take Kuran the way that he has. And he looks forward to being able to do so again in the future. It’s… refreshing to know that he might be the _only_ one who has ever seen Kuran on his knees, much less so openly vulnerable.

There’s a hollow in one of the trees near the Moon Dorms that Zero’s taken to stashing his books in. He makes sure that they’re secure, before upping his pace to follow Yuki into making certain that the Day Class girls don’t make too much of a scene. Or cause one.

It’s a lost cause and he knows it.

With just the two of them, it’s all they can do to keep the girls in behind invisible lines. Yuki has to do so physically, standing with her back to the Night Class and shouting orders at them at the top of her lungs. All Zero has to do is give them a sharp glare and they’re quickly cowed into not crossing the invisible line that his body creates.

At the chime of the bell marking the switch from day to night, the gates to the Moon Dorm swing open, revealing the Night Class.

Zero’s heart does a flip-flop in his chest when he spots Kuran. Then it promptly leaps up into his throat and hammers a sharp staccato beat against his adam’s apple.

When Kuran spots him standing there, his mouth turns up, very briefly, in a bright, genuine smile. It’s gone before Zero can even blink. He would have missed it if it wasn’t for his enhanced, vampiric senses.

Which means that no one else spotted it either.

His heart ramps up its beat. As though it’s trying to tear itself from his body and offer itself to Kuran.

Kuran stops in front of him. There’s a faint brush of fingers against his cheek, though the movement happens in a flash, and Kuran smiles, “You look well tonight, Zero. I’m glad.”

Those wine-red eyes of his are soft, so full of a happiness that seems to radiate outwards that it’s all Zero can do to swallow around the lump that’s grown in his throat and nod. He’s never seen Kuran genuinely _happy_ before and it’s a startling sight.

_Did I… do that?_

“I hope that the ladies won’t be too much trouble for you,” Kuran says, gaze shifting to the girls gathered behind Zero. But as his eyes move, Zero watches them shutter and return to their usual cool indifference.

The girls behind him shriek and squeak.

“Ah! Kaname-senpai is so sweet!”

“Why is it always the Disciplinary Committee?!”

“It’s not _fair_!”

Zero shoots a sharp look over his shoulder.

A ripple races through the crowd, and they fall silent.

“Ah, but I see that you have everything in hand. Have a good night, Zero.”

And with that, Kuran turns away and continues to make his way towards the academy with the rest of the Night Class. Zero watches him go, feeling as though there’s something hot and sharp lodged in his throat that makes swallowing quite painful.

Once the Night Class vanishes from view, the nightly ritual is over. Zero and Yuki escort the large groups of girls back to the dorms, making sure not to leave any stragglers behind. Though there’s talk of sneaking out later that night for pictures or in an insane attempt to meet the object of their obsession.

“And that’s that!” Yuki says, clapping her hands together. “Now all that’s left is tonight’s patrols and reporting in to the headmaster! Hopefully, nothing too out of the ordinary happens and we’ll be back in bed before you know it!”

“Wouldn’t want to keep you from Yori, would we.”

“Hey!”

Zero shrugs, “Whatever.”

“Are you sure everything’s fine, Zero? I mean… about last night…”

He glances away, “I should have told you. That I’m the very monster I was raised to hunt.”

Yuki smacks his arm, “You’re not a monster, Zero! Don’t say that again! I don’t think that and neither does the headmaster! And… I’m certain that Kaname-senpai doesn’t think you are, either.” She adds the last part quietly, in a whisper.

“Why do you always have to bring him up?”

“Well, everything’s always… tense, between you two. It’s like when Yori and I were, y’know, dancing together. Not actual dancing. I mean the whole…” She makes a gesture with her hands, “When we weren’t sure of how the other felt and didn’t know how to say how we felt.”

“It’s nothing like that,” Zero scoffs, looking away and hoping that Yuki can see the way that his cheeks colour. He can feel them pricking with heat. “He gets on my nerves.”

The eye roll is implicit in her tone, “Sure, Zero. Keep telling yourself that.”

 

 

 

When they report to the headmaster at the end of the night, it’s to find that he’s not alone in his office.

Chills run down Zero’s spine when he sees the girl. She’s dressed in white – Night Class – though there’s something familiar in her pale lavender hair and the light purple of her eyes. There’s a small smile playing about her lips when she sees him.

The headmaster smiles at the both of them, “Zero, Yuki, I’d like you to meet Maria Kurenai. She’s a new transfer to the Night Class. I was hoping, actually, that you could give her a quick tour, Yuki, before turning in for the night.”

Yuki smiles brightly, “Ah! Of course! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maria.”

With a curtsy, she says, “It’s an absolute _pleasure_ to meet you both, Yuki. _Zero_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now a wild plot appears! Things are going to pick up from here on out. Hopefully, I don't rush them...


	7. Chapter 7

_Maria Kurenai_.

The name isn’t familiar, but her eyes send shivers down Zero’s spine. He doesn’t miss how her eyes linger on him, sliding down his neck, his chest, his legs. Her lips curve upwards into a smile that chills his blood.

Yuki, however, smiles brightly, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Maria!”

He shoves his hands into his pockets, balls them into fists.

“Not interested.”

With that, he leaves.

The absolute last thing he wants is to be in a room with Maria. There’s… something off about her; he just doesn’t know what it is. Not yet.

Zero stops in one of the outdoor corridors, leans up against one of the pillars.

“You’re not a very nice person, are you, Zero?”

He starts, glancing back to where Maria stands with wide eyes. His hand twitches towards Bloody Rose, but he feels frozen in place.

“What do you want?”

She cocks her head to the side, still smiling, “I just want to see you. After all, we didn’t really get acquainted, did we? You left so… quickly. Did your parents not teach you any manners?”

He flinches, “Don’t you _dare_ talk about my parents!”

“Oh, I seem to have hit a sore spot.” Maria raises a hand to her lips, “Please, do accept my apologies. I didn’t mean to.”

“Just go.”

“Oh, but I would like it if _you_ showed me me around, Zero. Yuki is very nice, but…” Maria skips up to him, slides her arms around his waist. “She’s not you.”

Trying to yank himself free only results in Maria clinging tighter to his arm. Though he could break free if he tapped into… but no. He won’t.

Yuki runs up a ways behind Maria, hands planted on her knees as she breathes heavily.

“Miss Maria! You can’t – oh! Zero, you found her!”

“She found me,” Zero replies, trying to disentangle himself from Maria _again_ and failing.”C’mon. Let’s show her to class. Get it over with. Kuran or Ichijo can deal with her then.”

“Oh, you’re so mean, Zero!” Maria coos, tightening her grip on Zero’s arm and nuzzling closer. “We should be friends! Right, Yuki?”

“Ah, Miss Maria–”

“Maria is fine, Yuki,” Maria beams. “If we’re going to be friends, then we should call each other by our names.”

“Yes, well,” Yuki flushes, then slaps both of her cheeks and grins. “Let’s see! This way to the classrooms for the Night Class – they should still be in session and we can introduce you to the rest of your fellow students.”

Maria twines her fingers through Zero’s, squeezing his hand so tightly that it aches. She leans into him, her skin cold against his, “But I already have friends, don’t I? You and Zero will be my friends… won’t you?”

“Of course we will, Maria!” Yuki smiles, “But you’ll be happy with the Night Class too. They’re all very nice; I’m certain that they’ll be friendly.”

“I certainly hope so, Yuki.”

 

 

 

His hand has bruises in the shape of Maria’s fingers. There’s a matching set on his arm from where she clung to it. If he closes his eyes, he can smell…

Cherry blossoms.

His eyes fly open, hand going for Bloody Rose.

But there’s no one there.

He’s as alone in his room as he was before. But for a moment… he swore that _she_ was there too.

Sticking his head under the tap, he cranks it on as far and as cold as it can go.

_I must be losing it_.

Zero keeps his head under the spray of water until it begins to hurt, giving him a headache. Jerking his head out, he turns the water off and sags to the floor, hands fisted tightly around the porcelain of the sink basin.

He knew that there wasn’t something right about Maria, and now he’s certain.

But what that _is_ he just doesn’t know.

Zero’s neck throbs, sudden and painful. His skin burns, the flesh underneath remembering what it was like to be torn apart by too sharp teeth; his blood being drawn from him.

Clamping a cold hand to his neck, Zero tries to will the pain away. But the burn doesn’t go away.

His fangs lengthen, pricking against his lips. His throat burns.

_Kuran_.

But it’s not Kuran. Zero knows that. It… it’s _her_. But… why now?

With trembling fingers, Zero presses them against the side of his neck where she bit him so many years earlier. His fingers spasm against his neck, trying to claw their way into the flesh underneath. Tearing his hands away, he stares down at them, at the blood staining the tips of his hand.

_What the hell is happening to me?_

 

 

 

Things don’t improve over the next few days.

His neck continues to throb, violently. And the nightmares continue to get worse, reminding him of that horrible snowy day four years earlier.

There’s not even a night where he dreams of his and Kuran’s clones. There’s no respite from the remembrance.

Forgetting, he thinks, might be a blessing over the constant remembering.

But then he remembers his parents, lying in pools of their own blood and staring sightlessly up at the ceiling by the time that he dragged himself back to the doorway.

No. He needs to remember.

 

 

 

He’s not the only one who is suspicious.

Maria continues to be, well, a nuisance.

It’s the middle of the day. She comes skipping through the main cafe of the academy, with Ichijo trailing a ways behind her. The crowd of gathered students part for them, staring on in awe at the sight of the Night Class out and about during the day.

“Maria, we’re not supposed to be out during the day!” Ichijo calls, jogging after the skipping girl.

“I just wanted to see the cafe,” Maria says, her voice lilting as she does. “It’s so nice, isn’t it? To be outside during the day? I’ve been out so rarely…”

“We’re going to be in so much trouble…” Ichijo mutters. “Please, Maria! We need to head back to the dorms now!”

They’re not the only Night Class students that are out and about.

“Oi, Kiryu!”

Zero stops, turns, “What do you want, Aido?”

He slings an arm around Zero’s shoulders, “To talk with you. Preferably somewhere private.”

“... follow me.”

Shrugging off the arm, Zero leads him up to a balcony overlooking the grounds. He leans against one of the railings, “What?”

Aido plants a booted foot on the bottom edge of the railing, “Huh, the girls really do give a wide berth when you’re around…”

“Aido.”

Aido shrugs, “That transfer. Maria Kurenai. Surely you’ve noticed that she’s… odd.”

“Hn.”

“Not very talkative, are you? I may have… looked into her. A little. On the downlow. Kaname-sama doesn’t know that I’ve been looking into her and I’d rather that he didn’t. So this is staying between you and me.”

“So, why’d you come to me?”

“She’s attached to you,” Aido says simply. “You can’t have missed the way that she fawns over you. And the way that she acts with Kaname-sama…”

_She reminds me of… of that woman_.

Zero grits his teeth, ignores the way that his teeth itch. “She has no care for personal space.”

“Not with you and not with Kaname-sama.”

He wonders how Aido would react, knowing that Zero’s touched Kuran in ways that he’d find distasteful; not to mention that he’s shared his blood.

Poorly, Zero thinks.

“She doesn’t… behave the way that an aristocrat should,” Aido says. “She takes liberties that she shouldn’t and acts like – like the world is hers.”

“She reminds me of that… woman.”

Aido starts, tilting his head to Zero, “That…? You don’t mean...”

Zero nods, tightly, and balls his hands into fists.

“They’re related, actually,” Aido says, quietly. “Distantly, but still.”

“They…”

“It could mean something. Or nothing. I don’t know. We don’t know enough, but just… keep your guard up around her, alright? I don’t trust her.”

“Then that’s something we have in common.”


	8. Chapter 8

Despite his best efforts to avoid her, Maria continues to dog his footsteps.

Whenever he turns around, it seems, she’s there. Either watching him from out a window or simply from a distance. If he glances back a second time, however, she’s gone – with no sign that she was ever there. He never gets the chance to draw Bloody Rose on her, because by the time he has the thought to, she’s gone.

Even when she isn’t around, he feels the constant pressure of eyes on him. But there’s no one there.

Zero yanks the curtains closed across his window, trying to escape from the constant feeling of being watched and sinks to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees.

With that constant, lingering feeling, he’s been too… afraid to seek out Kuran. His thirst burns against his throat, but there’s nothing he can do about it. Though he tries to take the blood tablets, he only ends those attempts gagging over the sink or vomiting up whatever was left in his stomach.

So, it’s true what they say: ex-humans reject the blood tablets.

There’s a soft knock at the door.

Opening it, Zero expects to find a concerned Yuki standing there. But that’s not the case.

Kuran stands there, frowning and with his brow deeply furrowed. He’s out of the crisp lines of his uniform, leaving him in a loose fitting shirt whose collar dips down, revealing the attractive sweep of his collar bones. It’s odd to see him so… underdressed.

“What are–”

“I was worried,” Kuran admits, his words quick and clipped. “You hadn’t come to see me, so I thought… that maybe I should come to you.”

He sounds sheepish, almost. Unsure how his arrival and presence are going to be received. It’s… oddly endearing, Zero has to admit – even if he’ll never say that he thought so.

But even he can’t deny the way his gums itch at the smell of Kuran. Other parts of his anatomy take notice, images from his dreams flashing through his head. Zero’s quick to shove them down; now isn’t the time.

He steps aside, “Then stop standing out in the hall and get in here.”

The smile that Kuran graces him with is enough to stop his heart.

Belatedly, he realizes that he’s never – not in all the time that they’ve known each other – seen Kuran _actually_ smile. It’s a beautiful sight, the way that it lights up his entire face, which looks like it’s about to split with how wide it is. Kuran’s eyes are soft, a warm, beguiling shade of burgundy that turns Zero’s knees to jelly.

_Oh_.

He’d hoped that the attraction had faded without the dreams to feed it, but that’s not happening. There’s still a large part of him that thinks that Kuran is the most handsome man he’s ever met. And seeing that smile? It’s hard to keep telling himself that it’s wrong, that he shouldn’t feel this way about the pureblood. Especially when he gets the feeling that no one else has seen Kuran so… open before.

Closing the door behind Kuran, Zero leans against it, trying to catch his breath and steady himself.

That smile still lingers about Kuran’s mouth as he turns to face Zero, “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” Zero snaps. He sucks in a deep, shaky breath. “I can guess why you’re here.”

Kuran reaches out, brushing back a lock of Zero’s hair with his knuckles, “Is that all you wish of me, Zero?”

_No._ “Let’s get this over with.”

“Be careful, Zero,” Kaname warns, his eyes shifting and narrowing as he glares at the window. “It seems that we have an audience.”

Zero starts, “Wha–”

“For now, they’re gone. But I imagine that they’ll return before too much time has passed.” Kuran turns from the window, his face and eyes automatically softening as he looks at Zero. “Come, you must be thirsty.”

Kuran settles himself on Zero’s bed, sweeping his dark hair to the side and revealing the smooth, clear skin of his neck. There’s no scar from the last time that Zero bit him, not a mark at all on that perfectly blemish-free skin of his; Zero’s envious.

He approaches the bed slowly, climbing onto it across from Kuran. He swallows, which is difficult to do past the lump in his throat, and tries to still his own racing heartbeat. Even now, having done this once before, he’s still painfully nervous. He doesn’t want to _hurt_ Kuran, even though he definitely should.

That part of himself really needs to shut up at some point.

There’s a faint tremble in his hands as he gently smooths Kuran’s collar away from his neck. Sucking in a deep breath, Zero’s nearly overcome by Kuran’s scent; rich and deep and impossibly alluring. Without thinking, he leans in, burying his face into the nape of his neck and breathing deeply.

For his part, Kuran says nothing, but Zero feels a hand lightly tangle in his hair and press him closer. His other hand rests against Zero’s hip, but does nothing else.

Zero pushes closer, parting his lips and letting his sharpened fangs graze across the skin but not break it.

Kuran shudders, inhaling sharply.

Impulsive as he is, Zero doesn’t intend to draw this out. It feels far too much like foreplay, but he can’t always control himself where Kuran is involved. He inhales deeply, imprinting the smell of Kuran into his memory for… later. For reasons.

But eventually, the need for blood wins out. He yearns to taste that rich blood of Kuran’s again, to savour it against his tongue and feel the burn of it as it settles into his stomach. Absolutely nothing compares to the taste of Kuran’s blood, not even the sweetness of Yuki’s.

And there’s a sting of guilt there, that he bit her. But it led him here, to this situation, this time, and it’s impossible for Zero not to feel a bit like this was how it was meant to be. That he was _supposed_ to end up here, in Kuran’s arms, with his fangs buried in his neck. He can hate himself, Kuran, and the world all he likes, but there’s no changing how _right_ all of this feels.

Kuran’s blood tastes, Zero imagines, like impossibly fine, aged wine tastes like. Deep, unfathomable, and with a sharp bite of what he can only describe as _pleasure_ coursing through it.

_Does he enjoy this?_

Zero drinks till his thirst is sated, settling back inside of him with a pleased hum. His body feels as though it’s vibrating, full of a power and strength he’s never before known. He licks the wound, cleaning it and pulls back to watch as the flesh knits itself back together right before his eyes. Not even his own wounds close as quickly as Kuran’s do.

There’s a pleasure-glazed look to Kuran’s eyes when Zero pulls away, and it doesn’t escape his notice that the pureblood eyes Zero’s own neck with a look of _wanting_.

He hesitates briefly, then reaches for his tie.

“What are you doing, Zero?”

He flushes, “I – don’t you want…?”

“Be careful what you offer, Zero,” Kuran warns, laying a hand over Zero’s. “In our world, blood is power. There is much you risk in offering yours.”

Zero scowls, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You must be absolutely certain of what you want before you offer your blood to me, Zero,” Kuran says. “As I said, blood holds power in our world. You should know the risks of offering yours.”

“You’re talking in circles again, Kuran,” Zero snaps. “Just spit it out.”

Kuran starts forward, using his grip on the back of Zero’s neck to pull him close.

For one alarming second, Zero is absolutely convinced that Kuran is about to kiss him.

Much to his disappointment, he doesn’t.

“What do you desire from me, Zero?” Kaname murmurs, breath brushing across Zero’s lips. “Before you offer me your life, be certain that you know what you want.”


	9. Chapter 9

As much as he wishes it was otherwise, he can’t stay away from Maria.

“That’s right, isn’t it?” Maria says. “There’s a bond between us, so you can sense me.”

Her mouth turns up into a small smile, “You’ve finally come to kill me...”

Pressing Bloody Rose to the centre of her chest, Zero feels the beat of his heart against his ribcage. It’s faster now, fluttering with the anticipation. Now, finally, he can have his revenge. He can avenge his family. The entire reason that he’s survived this long, that he’s held on… and now it’s time.

His finger tightens on the trigger.

“... that is, if you can pull the trigger,” Maria looks up at him, her eyes crinkling in a smile. “Does it surprise you that much? That you can’t kill me?”

Zero’s blood runs cold, no matter how much he tries, his finger won’t tighten enough to pull the trigger. His hand trembles violently, but he can’t move. It feels like he’s trying to move through jello – it takes much more strength and effort than it should… until he can’t move at all.

With her small hands, Maria reaches up and cups his face between her hands. She has to roll onto the balls of her feet, lips a bare inch from Zero’s and her breath brushing against the skin.

“Don’t… touch me…” Zero grinds out.

Maria tilts her head to the side, “Of course I can touch you… after all, you’re _mine_ , Zero. As your ‘master’, I can command you. And that’s why… you can’t kill me. After all, I gave you new life, did I not?”

He flinches, but that only results in a flash of pain.

“You didn’t know that, did you? And you’ve been letting someone sully my beautiful creation. Touch you in ways that only I should…” Her hands slide down his neck, his chest; her eyes narrow. “But _he_ has been inside you longer than me, hasn’t he… I can feel it; that thread that connects you to him.”

Her hands ball into fists, “But I got to you first. Which means that you are _mine_. It’s _me_ that’s filled you with such hatred, inspired all that vengeance within you. I still have the tightest claim to you, don’t I? But that’s not what I want. I want _all_ of you.”

“Don’t–”

His hand spasms against the trigger.

“Try as you might, you cannot hurt me, Zero,” she admonishes gently. Her hand comes to rest on top of Bloody Rose, pushing its barrel down until it points at the floor. “Not when you have fallen so low as to be a ‘servant’.”

He twitches to hear the word, grinds his teeth, but says nothing. If he does, then he’s just giving her the satisfaction of knowing that she’s gotten under his skin.

“Besides which, I am only _borrowing_ this body. So it would be rude of both of us to damage it.”

“You–”

“Don’t you worry; Maria is still in here with me. She’s simply… asleep. But she would vastly prefer that to being awake. After all, she came to me to cure her.”

Zero tenses, slowly dragging his arm back up to point the Bloody Rose at Maria.

She frowns, then smiles, clapping her hands together, “Ah! I forgot how strong you are! How much hatred you hold for me! It’s all so beautiful… and all _mine_.”

“Shut up.”

Her eyes narrow, and she steps back up to Zero, invading his personal space. She draws a single finger up his neck, nail digging into the skin under his neck. Her eyes blaze, bright crimson and it feels like nails driving into his head, “You’re going to do something for me, Zero. And if you don’t, well, I know that you care for that _delicious_ little girl who follows you around with stars in her eyes. Wouldn’t it be unfortunate if something were to happen to her?”

He grinds his teeth together, snarls out, “Leave Yuki out of this!”

“Good, we have an agreement,” Maria says. She steps back, a little twirl in her step as she does.

Zero’s still frozen in place, unable to move.

“If you want to keep her safe, then you will do what I’m asking of you. After all, it’s something only you can do.” Maria tilts her head to the side, grins bright and wide, “I want you to bring me Kaname Kuran’s head.”

His blood runs cold, his heart jerking to a stop. Then it ramps up, leaping up into his throat to hammer against his adam’s apple.

“No.”

“Oh, so the girl matters less to you than Kaname?” She draws out Kuran’s name, lingering on each syllable. “Then I’ll take her life. I’m sure that she tastes just as sweet as she smells; I’m looking forward to getting to taste her.”

“Don’t you _dare_ touch her!”

“Choose, then. Who matters more to you? I won’t share you with _anyone_ , Zero.” Maria watches him, her eyes glittering red. “You belong to me and me alone. Thus, Kaname Kuran needs to die. I want you to tear that thread apart with your own hands. If you don’t, well, I’m sure Yuki would be quite tasty...”

“... I get it.”

“Ah, do you, Zero?” She smiles, which looks so out of place on her face. “Good.”

He swallows, hard, around the lump in his throat, “You have a plan, I take it?”

Maria grins, “At the coming ball, you will make sure to bring Kaname away from his… protection. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. You will know how to find me. But you… you will be the one to pull the trigger. Purge yourself of him and become all mine, Zero. Just as you were on that day when your eyes belonged to me and me alone.”

 

 

 

He finds Yuki with the remainder of the Day Class, setting up for the upcoming ball. She’s chattering away with Yori as the two of them work to hang large curtains around the columns and stringing garlands up along the railings.

Zero’s aware that he looks like shit. He didn’t sleep at all the night before and returned to the dorm long after the sun had risen. There’s dark circles under his eyes and his gums are burning, neck feeling as though it’s on fire as it throbs in time to the beat of his heart.

But that doesn’t erase the ache that’s settled deep in his chest.

 _Yuki_. She is what matters. He won’t let her suffer because of him. Never because of him.

“I need to talk to you,” Zero says, voice rough. He grabs Yuki’s arm, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Alone.”

“Wha – alright,” Yuki says. She turns her face up to shout up to Yori, “One moment! Prefect business!”

There’s a small storage area off the ballroom, Zero crowds Yuki into it and closes the door. He makes certain to lock it behind them.

Sucking in a breath, he listens but the only sounds he can hear are the rushing of his own blood and the familiar th-thud of Yuki’s heartbeat. It’s just the two of them in here.

“What’s wrong, Zero? You look terrible.”

Yuki comes up behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder and squeezing it.

“Stay away from Kurenai,” Zero grinds out. “Do you hear me? She’s dangerous.”

As though he’d just shocked her, Yuki withdraws her hand, “Zero, what’s–”

“Just… for once do as your told! Please!” Zero whips around, grabbing both of her shoulders and shaking her. “Yuki, do this for me. I’m _begging_ you.”

She blinks up at him with bleary eyes, “Al-alright, Zero… I’ll stay away from her. I promise. But… what’s wrong? Are you…” Her voice drops, “Are you thirsty?”

Before he can stop her, she shrugs out of his grip, pulling her hair away from her neck, “You can take some from me if you need. Just don’t spill too much blood.”

“No, I–I’m fine, Yuki,” he says.

But it’s put an idea in his head.

He meets her eyes, though it takes a phenomenal effort, “Don’t worry about me, Yuki. Everything will be fine.”

Turning on his heel, Zero leaves her standing there, striding out of the ballroom.

He needs to pay the Night Class a visit.


	10. Chapter 10

There are a few things that Kaname never expected to happen in his life.

And one of them is finding Zero Kiryu in his room.

“What are you doing here, Zero?” Kaname asks, because Zero wouldn’t simply seek him out for anything.

It has to do with Kurenai. Kaname’s been watching her, knows that there’s something about her that isn’t quite normal, but he can’t put his finger on what that is. He’s close, though, and it has to have something to do with Shizuka Hio.

Kaname knew about the connection between her and Hio since she enrolled in the school, but he hasn’t yet made a move to tip his hand. It’s a delicate game, the one he’s playing, but if it works out…

Zero will be free.

Which is all that matters to him.

“I… wanted to ask you something,” Zero says, voice uncharacteristically low. It’s almost husky, seductive even, and it sends shivers down Kaname’s spine. “Are we alone?”

“Seirin is just outside,” Kaname responds. “But she won’t tell a soul of anything that happens here. What did you want to ask of me?”

_I would do anything for you. All you have to do is ask._

With deliberate movements, Zero reaches for the collar of his shirt. He tugs it away from his neck, undoing the buttons and pulling it down so that it slides off his shoulders. But Kaname can see the small tremors racing through Zero and his eyes narrow. Something has happened.

Crossing the distance between them, Zero reaches out and slides a hand behind Kaname’s head, tugging it down gently.

“I want you to bite me.”

Kaname freezes, “What?”

So close, he can hear the thrum of Zero’s heart in his chest, the pulse of blood through his veins. And the scent of him… is intoxicating. In the face of that, it’s difficult to remember all the arguments against him doing so; presented with the opportunity -- with something that he’s desired for so long -- it’s so difficult not to give in immediately.

“You heard me.” And he can practically _hear_ the scowl in Zero’s voice, “I want you to bite me.”

There’s a very long pause, then, softly, Zero murmurs, “ _Please_.”

Ultimately, he’s powerless in the face of Zero’s soft pleading. He never could refuse anything he asked of him.

There’s still a tremble racing through Zero, and he must be remembering the last time he was bitten.

With gentle hands, Kaname cups the side of his head, tilting it to a better angle. He presses a soft, lingering kiss to where Zero’s pulse flutters against the skin, and murmurs, “I won’t hurt you, I swear.”

He snakes his other arm around Zero’s waist, pulling him close and preparing to take his weight. If his experience with Ruka and his own has taught him anything, is that it’s likely to make Zero a little weak in the knees. Or, at least, he hopes it will. He _desperately_ wants Zero to enjoy this as much as he himself will.

His fangs itch against his gums, stretching and lengthening. Kaname presses one last lingering kiss to Zero’s neck, then bites down.

What first touches his tongue is the sharp tang of fear. But it changes, melting into _shock pleasure_ , and then… there’s a jumble of images, impressions, _memories_.

There’s Kurenai’s voice, echoing in his head, proclaiming that Zero is _hers_ \-- and he rails against that because it’s not true; Zero is _his_ and always will be -- but then there’s what he believes Zero wants him to learn: Hio-in-Kurenai ordering Zero to bring her his head.

Kaname doesn’t find it too surprising that she would demand such. In a way, she’s quite predictable. That possessive nature of hers runs true in every pureblood, and Kaname is no exception; he simply reigns it in better than most.

But for Hio, she’s tipped her hand. And that’s just what Kaname needed.

With gentle care, he pulls his fangs free and licks the bite until it stops bleeding. He kisses the wound, feels Zero sway in his arms, and holds him tight.

“Let me take care of this,” he murmurs.

He might have taken more blood than he first thought, because Zero lets out a soft sigh and goes limp against him. With his arms already around him, Kaname easily takes his weight, scooping him up and carrying him over to the bed. He makes certain that Zero’s comfortable, before he begins his preparations.

“Seirin,” he calls out softly. “Bring Aido. And make certain that no one else is nearby.”


End file.
